Hips Don't Lie

Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" exploded onto the global scene in February 2006, becoming the defining pop single of her career. Built on a reworking of Wyclef Jean's earlier track "Dance Like This," the song layers a driving dembow rhythm with blaring trumpets and trombones sampled from Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va" and Rafael Hernández's "Cumbanchero." The result is a horn-heavy, carnival-ready fusion of Latin pop, reggaeton, and salsa that feels less like a studio production and more like a street party caught on tape.

The song's journey to number one was swift. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in June 2006, becoming Shakira's first and only chart-topper in the US. Across the Atlantic, it spent a week at number one on the UK Singles Chart. In total, it reached the summit in over 50 countries and was the best-selling single worldwide in 2006, shifting more than 10 million copies. The RIAA certified it 4x Platinum, while Canada went 7x Platinum and France awarded it a Diamond certification.

Sophie Muller directed the music video, released in April 2006. It features Shakira in a vibrant, multicolored carnival setting, dancing through crowded streets with Wyclef Jean and a troupe of energetic dancers. The video's joyful, unpolished energy matched the song's spirit perfectly, and it has since amassed over 1.3 billion YouTube views. At the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, the choreography won Best Choreography, and the video was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Female Video, and Best Pop Video. The Latin Grammys awarded it Best Short Form Music Video in 2006.[edit]